To Konoha
by laurana117
Summary: Tenten is a mistrusting orphan living in an oppressive society tightly controlled by the Akatsuki and others. Known children with ninja abilities are sent to the winter fortress of Konoha never to be seen again. The use of chakra has been banned to anyone not involved with the Akatsuki. AU. NejiTen somewhat. OOC.
1. Chapter 1

Logos I

A/N- If you have read any of the Obernewtyn Chronicles this fic will seem somewhat similar to the first book in that series. I read that book years ago and absolutely loved it. But I have promised not to read until they are finished because I hate waiting for books to be published. I highly recommend the series, I that find the first three books really are my personal favorites.

NejiTen will be the main pairing because they are my absolute favorite. They always will be my favorite pairing and I hope they happen.

This chapter will be a prologue because I want to set the setting. I like to start out stories by describing geographical location and events happening. I also want to introduce the main characters Neji and Tenten and others.

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 1. Prologue.

The city of Konoha lies within the bounds of fire country, which is ruled by a fake republic. The republic is filled with political puppets. They in turn are controlled by the group called the Akatsuki.

The Akatsuki are a fierce group of ninjas that ban the use of chakra and other ninja arts. They desire to be the sole controller of the land by being the only group of ninjas.

They condemn those who are ninjas to be sent to the compound of Konoha in the most northern reaches of Fire country.

Konoha can only be reached by a dangerous trek through mountains. Snow often avalanches onto innocent travelers, so few ever venture to the northern city. In fact, the Akatsuki have ordered no one except ninjas to go to that city.

The city of Konoha is mostly just a compound for the captured ninjas. The environment surrounding it makes the use of chakra impossible within the confines of the city. This is so that those forced to live within the city cannot escape.

The city itself is a main structure that was built before the disaster and before the Akatsuki had control of the fire country. This is where meals are served to the prisoners as well as sleeping arrangements.

The person in charge of the compound is named Itachi Uchiha. He and his partner Kisame make sure no one escapes from Konoha. They are kind to the prisoners most of the time. It is widely known that Itachi holds fellow ninjas in the highest respect. But he also holds his loyalty to the Akatsuki in higher respect.

Not much is known of Kisame. He keeps mostly to himself, hidden within the walls of the compound.

Together these two rule over Konoha.


	2. Chapter 2

Logos II

**Disclaimer- Naruto and Obernewtyn are not mine.**

Chapter 2. Tenten.

I pulled my gloves on unceremoniously as the other orphans around me were quick to do. This would be my third expedition into the battlegrounds. Other orphans had made dozens of trips into the area.

The Battlegrounds were places that the monster Kyuubi had fought with Akatsuki years ago. The areas had been turned into deadly wastelands by the beast's horrible chakra. No one dared travel into the lands as those who did die swift deaths.

It was the job of orphans to go onto the fringes of the ancient battlegrounds and collect samples of the radiated earth. The Kyuubi chakra could be mined from the earth and used as an energy source as well as other things. The Akatsuki relied on the chakra remnants to fuel many different things. But it was very dangerous to be so close to the tainted earth, and it was also dangerous to pick the energized substance left behind by the great Kyuubi.

I looked over to the leader of their expedition. He was just a young Akatsuki rookie. He was barely old enough to grow a beard. And he looked to be uncertain about exposing himself to the poisons in the area.

I scoffed silently at him. It was likely that he had a family somewhere in the world to worry about him, which was something I would never have.

He obviously could use chakra, and could easily kill any of us. So I did not look his way again, and simply continued collecting the delicate samples of chakra. I had dreamed of being a scientist once or twice, just so I could understand how this energy trapped within rocks could be harnessed.

I collected the rocks. I would never tell, but it was easier for me to sense the remnant energy because I could use chakra. It was my most deadly secret.

I had some inkling that my parents were ninjas who were killed in the great disaster many years ago. And that they had passed their deadly art down to me. If I was found out I would be sent to the main court. And then I would be slaughtered in the same way I hypothesized my parents were.

I held up a rock and inspected it thoroughly. I had to act like it was hard for me to sense the power. The young Akatsuki was looking my way, but he soon diverted his eyes and went to scold some other orphan. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Orphans are the most expendable members of the society. We are not even worthy of thieves trying to rob us. They know we have nothing. I looked at the swirl mark on my left bicep. All orphans wore this mark, on the most recent orphans it was painted on.

But on me it was ink injected underneath my skin. A tattoo as those who lived before the disaster had supposedly called it. On new orphans it could wash off, but on me it would never fade. I would forever bear this mark. Everyone who saw my arm would always know that I was an orphan, I would always be alone in the world.

After an hour my small bag was filled with chakra infused rocks. I handed it to the young leader of our expedition. He took it and ordered me to wait underneath the tress. "The sooner everyone is done, the sooner I can get away from this poison." He muttered as I walked away.

I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes. I had always been an orphan so I was used to the constant peril, but others weren't. Other children's parents were killed simply because they spoke out against the government. One of the old orphans I know from years ago says that the mark the two of us share is a mark used by a secret police force that went against the Akatsuki before the disaster. He said they were called 'anbu' and that they are entirely extinct now. He also said that the Akatsuki were demeaning this organization by giving us low class orphans their mark.

But nowadays only a few orphans held this permanent mark. Among them were Tenten, her friend that spoke of this 'anbu' and one other.

I stiffened when my friend Haku sat next to me. He smiled happily at me. "Greeting Tenten!" He said.

"Haku you know how dangerous this is." I muttered through my shut teeth. "We are not supposed to make friendships."

"I know that." Haku said. "I just felt like telling you a rumor I heard."

Yes my friend that spoke of all the 'anbu' and Akatsuki nonsense was Haku. He loved to gossip all the time. Sometimes I swear he is a woman. He certainly is beautiful enough to be.

"A representative will be coming to our orphanage." Haku whispered devilishly.

"A representative from _where?_" I asked.

"So you are interested!" He said happily. "Well they are from Konoha. You know that famed prison in the north?"

"It's not a prison. I heard it's just a rehabilitation place for ninja and other chakra users." I said.

"But Tenten! Why would a representative come here?" Haku asked ominously.

"There must be some sort of strange rumors about us." I said while I thought. "I'll ask Zabuza when we get back. For now please leave me alone."

"Fine!" Haku said.

I looked around for an informant. All they would have to do is report that Haku and I were being friendly and we would instantly be separated. Not to mention the informer would be heavily rewarded.

Haku was the child of seditionists and I was just a rogue in the Akatsuki's eyes. We could start an alliance with the other orphans and the Akatsuki did not want that. They did not want a bunch of orphans banding together seeking vengeance.

I rose quickly when I heard yelling. "Help me! Oh god someone save me!"

I rushed over to see one of the younger orphans in a deep ditch running from a bear. But this was no ordinary beast. It had come from the tainted lands. And it looked mutated beyond what normal biology dictates. It had absorbed some of the left over chakra.

Without thinking I picked up a sizeable rock that held none of the power of the Kyuubi and I hurled it at the bear. But it was how I threw it that brought attention.

The rock had a pointed side and it was that side that embedded itself into the eye of the bear. Blood spurted out of its injured eye socket and it roared and brought its paws up to its face.

The orphan got away and looked from the young expedition leader to me. I gulped when I realized what I had done.

The leader just shook his head. He fired an arrow at the beast and ended its life; it was fairly easy as I had inflicted the first blow. He made a point to look at me. "We will be heading back to the orphanage now." He said and began walking back.

I took a shuddering breath and wordlessly followed the group of orphans. I had attracted attention to myself, in the worst way. I had thrown the rock like a weapon. What was I thinking!

**A few days later**

The representative from Konoha had arrived two days after I had thrown the rock. Luckily I had not been brought to his attention. I was breathing a sigh of relief on the day of his departure.

Then I was taken to him.

He had the blackest hair I had ever seen. And his eyes were equally dark. Two lines ran down his face. He was looking out the window, but turned to look at the door as a lower ranking Akatsuki member brought me in. "Leave us." He ordered.

He gestured for me to sit before him and I did. His eyes were very different than anything I had ever seen.

"You seem nervous." He said inquisitively.

"I am not." I said quickly.

He got up from his chair and went to look out the window again. I took the opportunity to open up the barriers I usually kept over my chakra and felt his chakra. Normally people could not sense when I did this but he turned to look right into my eyes. He said absolutely nothing, but continued to stare at me, as if looking into my soul.

"You are dismissed." He said at last. "I'm sure the orphanage staff needs you."

As I fled the room I heard him asking, "What is her name?"

My heart sunk into my stomach and I ran to the kitchen where Zabuza was working. He worked as a cook, and he was a very good friend of mine. "Where is Haku?" I asked.

"He is tending to the plants in the garden." Zabuza said in a strange voice. "What is wrong Tenten, has something happened?"

"No. I just need to speak with him." I didn't want any of the informants that I knew were in the kitchen to hear me.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. "Tenten." He said through clenched teeth. "Calm down. Rumors will spread, now take a deep breath and relax."

I collected myself and nodded. Then I went through the door to the garden. Haku was very gifted with plants, so he was solely in charge of growing the vegetation.

He looked up to see me and frowned. "Tenten!" He asked, "What is it?"

"I've been found out!" I said desperately.

Haku was the only one at this orphanage who knew of my abilities. He knew of my accuracy when throwing objects as well as my ability to use chakra. He had his own ability, he could control ice. But he was terrible at it because he would be spotted immediately. Ice just was not part of the nature in this part of the world.

"Tell me what happened." Haku said instantly.

I told him everything. He sat back and listened. We had been sure that no one was in the garden; everyone was eating in the orphanage. I was too nervous to eat, and he could get leftovers from Zabuza later.

"Tenten, he just asked for you name. That probably means nothing. It will be alright, I promise." He grinned from ear to ear in front of me. "I won't let you get taken to that prison."

"If I do get taken, please don't do anything stupid. Just lay low until you are eighteen, then you'll be free. Like you've always wanted. Like we have always wanted." I said wistfully. "I want you to go enjoy your life, and don't even think about missing me!"

"This Itachi guy might not even take you!" Haku said quickly.

I only gave him a half-smile. I could tell that I was going to Konoha.

**The Next Day**

I was summoned to the Uchiha. Then he told me that I was going to Konoha. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Zabuza and Haku. I just was taken to a carriage and driven away.

While the carriage rolled away I had the time to think. How had Itachi managed to get me? There must be more legal restrictions, he couldn't just come into the orphanage and steal me!

My questions were answered when I was taken to the main city, Suna.

Itachi did not go to Suna as I had thought. Instead he went to get more recruits, that was what the carriage driver said. I had been taken to Suna, because the council of the government was there, and they were going to decide if I was a chakra user, and therefore needed to be sent to Konoha.

I sat alone in a waiting room. It was horrible waiting for them to call my name. I held my head in my hands. I looked up to see a boy sitting by me. He had dark hair that sort of fell over his equally dark blue eyes. He smirked at me. "What are you in for?" He asked.

"I'm being sentenced to Konoha." I said and waited for his reaction.

"That's cool!" He said. "I'm petitioning with my friend to search for the fanatical Tsunade."

I knew about Tsunade. She used to work with one of the people within the government, and then she quit and fled to the high country. She is supposedly still alive and in hiding. She so far has been the only one to escape from the control of the Akatsuki.

"Are you going to get your petition?" I asked incredulously. The Akatsuki usually didn't like people seeking out the fanatical Tsunade.

"Nope. But there is no use worrying. You shouldn't worry either; Konoha might not be such a terrible place. And we might run into each other in the future." He said with a smile then he left.

I watched him go and wondered why he would give me only a few mysterious words then suddenly leave. It made no sense.

I was called into the court room, my fate awaited on the inside of the court room. I could be sent to the desolate north, or I could be sent back to the orphanage that was my reluctant home.

I walked through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Logos III

**Disclaimer- Naruto and Obernewtyn are not mine.**

* * *

Chapter 3. Konoha

I was taken into a court room that was relatively empty. A man with glasses and gray hair was leaning forward with his head down, he was the judge. There were also officials from all of the orphanages I had been to. I sat down before them. I would have to defend myself as no defense would be given to me in this court of law.

"Kabuto, wake up." One of the officials said to the judge.

His head was drawn up and I was shocked to see his youthful face. "I was only resting my eyes." He said quickly. Then he saw me and said, "Oh, another case. Thanks for waking me up."

I thought about the clear contradictions he made in his statements. Then my attention was directed to the officials reading my case.

"This one has been charged with the ability to use chakra. Reports of chakra use were only just reported by Itachi Uchiha, the supervisor of Konoha. But there are also lengthy reports of abnormal activity in her file that were reported before Uchiha's." One of the officials read.

Kabuto held his hands crossed in front of his nose. He was observing me. "Read me some of the reports." He said as he continued to stare at me.

"When she was seven a fellow orphan reported that she had more stamina than any of the other children, she could run longer than any of the others and had more strength." The official read. "Then when she was nine an orphanage overseer in Amegakure reported her ability to throw rocks with deadly precision."

As the official continued to read I realized I was never going to be let free in the world. I was most likely going to be sent to one of the farms that the government owned. Being sent to those farms was a death sentence in itself. Workers there took the chakra infused rocks that the orphans mined and were supposed to take the power out of it to power whatever the government was powering.

People _had _noticed that I had perfect accuracy and that I was seemingly built for combat. What I'd been trying to hide all along was very well known.

After the official was done speaking Kabuto leaned back and looked at me. He was deciding my case in his head. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Tenten." I answered.

"Well Tenten, you are hereby charged a chakra user and a ninja. You are a danger to everyone in the land and an enemy of the government. You will be sent to Konoha to work for the rest of your life. There you may labor so that even you can be of some use to the council." Kabuto said.

I was numb as I was led out of the court room. That had taken only a few minutes and the fate of my life had been decided. How strange, I wondered if other cases were over as fast as that.

I waited in the archives area, they were checking if I had any living relatives. If I did, they were to be charged with all the same charges as myself. Luckily, I had none. No parents, no siblings, and no clan of any sort.

Once they were sure I had no clan I was taken to a temporary bunk room to rest. I would leave for Konoha in the morning with a Konoha carriage driver.

**The next day**

I was riding wordlessly in the carriage. We had waited to see if any more were charged with chakra use, but I was the only one. The carriage driver appeared to be only a few years older than myself, and he had yawned and told me we would make it to Konoha in a day.

He had agreed to let me sit outside the carriage with him when we were a few hours from Konoha.

"You used to be an orphan." He said once he saw the tattoo. "I'd hate if I were to be branded like that must hurt. My names Shikamaru." He said.

"My name is Tenten." I said. "And it was not branded into my skin, it was ink injected underneath the skin. It was declared too expensive though, so now orphans have it painted on with semi-permanent paint. Mine will never wash away."

"That is one thing I hate about the council." Shikamaru said. "Orphans cannot control if their relatives die."

"It did not bother me." I said. "Have you been to Konoha?" I asked changing the subject.

"Of course, I am a chakra user much like you. I just am too lazy to labor like the others, so I'm allowed to drive the newly declared chakra users like you to Konoha. I also make sure they don't try to escape. I must say, everyone I drive is much younger than you. So that means you were good at hiding it." Shikamaru said in his lazy drawl.

"One must hide much when in the orphan system." I answered cryptically. "I was no exception. What is life like at Konoha?"

"I'm sure you will like. It is not nearly as dangerous as the orphan system. I have a friend that oversees the farms, tell him you know me and he will make sure you get a good job." Shikamaru said. "His name is Neji."

"Neji." I said the name experimented on my tongue. "I'll be sure to do that."

"We're about to be there, so now you have to go back inside. We don't want me getting fired for almost letting someone escape." Shikamaru said.

"I don't think I would get very far." I said with a smile.

Then I reluctantly got back into the carriage to ride the rest of the way to Konoha. The terrain here was very dangerous, and something I knew nothing about. I had been in orphanages dotting the green lower lands all my life. These rugged mountains were something completely out of my element.

When I stepped out Shikamaru followed me to the massive front doors. The complex did not look like a huge prison like I had expected. It was just a large building surrounded by several other smaller buildings, I could see the farm where Shikamaru's friend worked, and it was very large.

After we knocked on the door rather loudly an older looking woman answered. She had purple hair and a frown. She was in sleeping clothes and looked very angry. "Don't you know what time it is Shikamaru?" She asked.

"I brought another chakra user, so please stop being troublesome and just shut the door." Shikamaru said.

She took my hand and led me through the door, leaving Shikamaru outside. He didn't seem to mind and walked away.

The woman was muttering to herself and apparently to me, "You arrived so late that you'll have to stay in a temporary room. Tomorrow you will be given your permanent living space."

I simply nodded at her.

I was locked in a small dank room. There was a high window very high above me. Other than that the room was disappointingly bare. I sat on the straw bed and looked out the window. I could see a few of the familiar constellations I had grown up with.

I pulled a cloak out of a chest in the corner. This place was much colder than my old home.

I wondered fleetingly what Haku and Zabuza were doing at this moment. I wondered if they were missing me. But I couldn't afford to let my thoughts remain there, I had to forget them. They both still had chances to be granted freedom by the council.

I was woken up by a young woman walking into the room. My first thought was that she was going to kill me, and then I saw the emptiness of her eyes. It looked like she had no thoughts in her brain as she wordlessly stared at me. Her face remained impassive.

Then another voice called, "Kin!"

The girl turned to the door to see a young boy standing there. He stepped into the room and I immediately noticed his dark red hair. I had only ever seen one other red headed person. And she was being burned at the stake by Akatsuki members.

This man sneered at the girl Kin. His pale eyes holding no happiness. "You were supposed to wake her up Kin. And look how you have failed."

"My apologies, Nagato." She said with a strangled breath.

"I'm awake." I said, fearing that he would harm her.

"Oh? Well then, it appears that Kin _can_ do something useful." He said with a sneer in my direction. Come with me, I'll lead you to where you will be working."

I followed him wordlessly. The girl Kin was by his side, but I sensed much hatred between them. I had never witnessed anything like this. Normally if people hated each other they avoided each other. Or at least, that's how it is in orphan homes.

I noticed how dark Kin's hair was; it was a black much darker than my own mahogany brown. But her skin was very pale. That was a strange combination. Normally people with dark hair had ark skin to accompany it. I was certainly no exception with my darker skin. My skin was really only tanned from years of working in the sun.

"What is your name?" Nagato asked as we walked down the corridor.

"Tenten." I answered.

"No surname? How embarrassing." Nagato said. "I would kill myself if I were born without a clan."

I ignored his obvious attempt to stir my anger.

We soon arrived at a door. When we stepped through there was a large group of people waiting on the other side. They were waiting for Nagato.

He went to the front of the group and said, "Everyone get in single file. We'll be heading through the maze now."

I filed in behind a boy with brown hair that was lighter than my own. I was lost in the twists and turns of the maze and thankful that Nagato was leading the way. If I had been alone I would be lost.

The group was led to a large open area. I marveled at the acres of green fields before her.

These were the farms where I would be working. I stood in the group of people around me. Many of them were my age, younger, and older. Eyes flicked over me, resting on my orphan tattoo and returning to look forward.

A man approached the group whom Nagato greeted with, "Neji! Here are the new recruits." Nagato turned to look back at us and said, "This is Neji Hyuuga. He's the overseer of the farms."

So this was Shikamaru's friend. Neji looked only a few years older than me. He had long black hair that was tied in a low ponytail. His eyes were the strangest I had ever seen. They appeared pupil-less and were very cold. His skin was much lighter than my own as well. He could be very handsome, if he allowed a smile to grace his features.

He noticed my gaze and turned his head to stare directly at me. I quickly averted my eyes to look over at the mountains beyond the fields. The orphanages where I had grown up had been grassy plains.

"I am Neji Hyuuga." Neji said while still staring in my direction. The others around me were shifting noticing Neji's intent gaze.

Then Neji turned away and began assigning jobs with a bored tone and expression. I stepped forward when I was alone. I would be assigned a job last.

He turned his gaze back to me. I held my ground against his blank stare. "You'll be cleaning out the stables today." He said in his deep voice.

His voice was much deeper than Haku or Zabuza's. He also appeared older than them.

I followed silently behind him. His black hair swished as he walked. He led me to a stable and began instructing me on how to lead the horses out into the pasture while I would muck out their stall. I had never done manual labor like this before.

I liked this work better than orphan work. Mining for old chakra samples had been so dangerous and this kind of labor would not be killing me anytime soon. Unless a horse decided to kick me in the head, and that seemed unlikely.

Neji then left me alone with the stable full of horses. I approached the first stall and petted the horse softly. It was such a large creature. Much taller than myself.

I led it out of the stall and into the pasture just as Neji had shown me. The horse was only happy to comply. Then I went back inside the stable and began the tedious process of cleaning out the stall and adding new hay. This task would last all day.

I was working on the third stall when a boy walked into the stable. He had a girl with him who looked visibly nervous.

The boy had red triangles on each cheek of his face. He had brown hair and brown eyes much like my own. The girl had midnight black hair and the same eyes as Neji. She was obviously a relative.

The boy had a smirk on his face as I turned to look at him. "You will have to be taught a lesson." He said quickly and reached down to grab the scythe lying next to the door.

I watched with calculating eyes as his arm reached behind him to throw the scythe at me.

I dodged the blade with ease and shot a chakra string out of my hand, which they could not see. I used the string to forcibly throw the scythe back in his direction. The girl stepped quickly in front of him with her eyes closed.

I halted the scythe. Instead it fell to the ground at the girls feet with my chakra string still attached to it. I could not hurt the girl because she had done nothing to threaten me.

Her pupil-less orbs opened in front of me and she said, "Pl-please for-forgive Kiba-kun!" She stuttered.

The boy stepped out from behind her. "Yeah, I'm sorry." He said. "I just wanted to see what you could do."

I released the chakra string after detecting no threat from these two. "Why?" I asked still wary of people knowing about me. In the orphan households I could not show my secret talents to anyone other than Haku or Zabuza.

"There are people brought here that have no talents whatsoever. We think they are most likely political prisoners. So we simply wanted to see if you were one of them." The boy Kiba said. "You just proved that you aren't."

I raised an eyebrow at them I wondered why they would reveal so much to me. "Why tell an outsider so much?" I asked.

The boy looked confused. "You're not an outsider! You're one of us now. You are a chakra user."

Now I was confused. I stepped forward to look more closely at them. "What do you mean? How am I one of you?"

The girl spotted my tattoo. "H-her ar-arm Kiba-kun." She stuttered.

Kiba looked to my left bicep. "You're from the orphan systems! That's why you don't trust us! Well you're not there anymore. We are your friends now." Kiba said with a smile.

I was about to question their sanity when I heard Neji say, "Kiba! Hinata! Get back to the drying sheds!"

Kiba and the girl who I took to be Hinata both went ghostly white and fled from the stable. Neji glared at them as they went past him.

His pale eyes went to rest on me again. "I thought the orphan system would teach you to be more wary of strangers." He said with his cold voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Logos IV

**A/N- I've been very surprised to have people actually reviewing this story… I started it really because I wanted to read it. I didn't even expect it to have attention. Having mentioned that, I am happy that people are enjoying this story.**

**I know I have stated that this is AU, and it is. So some of the ninja skills will be altered to better fit the plotline of this story. For instance, Hinata's abilities will be very different from Neji's.**

* * *

Chapter 4.

Neji's white glare rested on me. How had he known that I was an orphan? Then I remembered my tattoo, of course! He must have seen it.

"They approached me." I said slowly.

His eyes continued to burn holes into me. "You have already caused trouble. This is the first time I have questioned Shikamaru's judgment." Neji said.

My face contorted in confusion. So Shikamaru had already mentioned me to his friend Neji. And it seemed Neji seriously hated me. This could only get better.

I had made it through years in the orphan system without detecting attention, -Although I actually had been detecting attention after all- and here I was with my overseer hating me the first day at Konoha.

He left shortly after that and I was glad. I really did not like that guy and was glad to be away from him.

I saw Kiba and Hinata at lunch. The kitchen workers were in charge of bringing sack lunches out to us farm workers.

I selected a meal that wasn't completely warped from sitting in the sun as well as a cup of water. I was sitting by myself away from the others; in the orphan system friendships were not allowed.

Kiba Hinata and a boy I did not know all sat by me. "Hello!" Kiba said cheerfully. "I hope you can forgive me for attacking you earlier." He said sheepishly.

I thought about it. "I guess its okay. Not that I would have done the same thing."

"What is your name?" Hinata asked timidly.

"How rude of me, I didn't introduce myself." I said, and then I looked right at Kiba. "I must have been too busy defending myself to do so." I looked back to Hinata. "My name is Tenten."

"Nice to meet you!" Kiba said. "My name is Kiba Inuzuka, and that is Hinata Hyuuga." Then he pointed to the boy who wore dark glasses. "His name is Shino. He's blind so he can't see."

I looked at the boy. He was staring blankly at the ground as he ate his lunch. How had he been sent to Konoha if he couldn't even see?

"Shino's here because of his ability." Kiba said answering my silent question.

"And what would that be?" I asked.

Shino looked up toward me. "I can manipulate bugs." He said in a raspy voice.

One of my eyebrows went up. "Bugs? That is strange. But back in my orphanage I had a friend who could manipulate ice and water." I said in reference to Haku.

"Why isn't he here?" Shino asked.

I looked away. "He is much better than me at hiding his abilities. He was always looking out for me."

"Th-that was very kind o-of him." Hinata stuttered. "Kiba-kun, Shino and I all look out for each other."

I looked at this rag tag group of kids. They were quite adorable with their friendship and I was instantly jealous. I missed Haku and Zabuza already.

"What are you able to do, other than lift objects with your mind?" Kiba asked me.

"That was not my mind. It was a string of chakra that I sent out of my hand." I said. "I've been able to do that since I was five years old."

"That's cool!" Kiba said excitedly.

"I've also been able to throw anything with one hundred percent accuracy. I've had that skill longer than I can remember." I continued. "What about you? What can you do?"

"I can talk to beasts. Mostly I like talking to dogs, but I can also speak with horses and other creatures." Kiba said.

"I can see future events sometimes, if I really focus." Hinata said quietly. "I haven't seen anything recently though."

"Your skills are so much better than mine." I said enviously. "Especially yours Hinata. I would love to be able to see what will happen to me before it happens." As strange as it was hearing about these abnormal abilities I was not frightened. Somehow I knew that people with powers much greater than my own were out in the world.

"I like yours better." Hinata stammered. "You can easily defend yourself from attackers. I cannot."

I was about to ask her if she was related to Neji when the call came to go back to work. I rose silently and began walking to the stable to finish mucking when Kiba caught my arm.

"You're our friend too now." He said quietly.

I was about to protest when he said, "You're not in the orphan system anymore. Here we are people like you. You can trust us."

I could not sense deception in his voice. I had always been able to read people's inner emotions by looking at them Kiba practically radiated trust from his soul.

"Okay." I said.

And after that I had the first friends ever in Konoha.

**Later That Day**

I was shown to my permanent room by a girl younger than me. She kept looking at me and giggling; so I assumed she'd heard of Neji's hatred of me.

"Here you go." She said and she opened the door to a room filled with mats. I would be sharing the room with three other girls. One happened to be Hinata so I was glad.

"You can sleep b-by me." Hinata said with minimal stuttering.

Once we had all settled in one of the girls asked me, "Where are you from?"

I had to ponder that question. "I'm an orphan." I said. "And I went to many different orphanages. So I really don't have a home."

"That is so sad." She said. "I'm from the mountains. Much like almost everyone else here."

After that everyone fell into a deep slumber because we were all very tired.

**The Next Day**

Kiba and Hinata walked through the maze with me behind Nagato. My instincts were screaming for them to get away from me, but like Kiba had said, I was no longer in the orphan systems and I could have friends now.

The night before I had rummaged through the clothing wardrobe. I wanted something nicer than my rundown orphan clothing.

I had selected a pink Chinese style silk top. It stopped at the edge of my shoulders and showed my orphan tattoo very clearly. The other girls in the room had said that I looked very nice in it. I knew I had some Chinese descent in me, because of my appearance and my ability to understand the language.

China had been destroyed in the disaster much like Japan, where I now resided. There were some rural farming compounds dotting the country where the potent chakra was not present. I'd heard all this from a passing merchant during my time in Amegakure.

My parents must have taught me Chinese before they died because I could speak it fluently and gracefully like the Chinese traders who traveled to Japan.

I chose green cargo like pants because they were very warm and comfortable. I also kept the cloak around my shoulders to ward off the chill. Soon I would have to forgo the silken top because it would be quite inadequate in the winter.

Neji lazily assigned jobs again. And he tactfully left me last.

Instead of telling me to do something he simply motioned for me to follow him. I got in step with his strides as we strolled down a path overlooking pastures and cultivation fields.

"Since you proved to be so sufficient with the horses I've decided that you can handle working with Rock Lee today. I felt that I should warn you, since you are new, that he is a strange person." Neji said in his bored tone.

"Missing a limb?" I asked. Back in the orphanages whenever anyone touched the chakra deposits without gloves on their skin would fester and the appendage would have to be amputated. I had known many one-handed people.

"No. We are not nearly so violent here in Konoha as I'm sure your old home was." Neji said. "I mean his personality. You'll see soon enough. He works primarily with the cows; he has the most patience for them."

I did not say anything else to him until we reached the shed that housed the cows. I saw two rows of cows mooing in their stalls. I wondered where Neji's friend could be.

"NEJI! My youthful friend! It has been AGES since I have seen you!" A voice called from above us.

I looked up into the rafters and frowned. Other girls my age would have screamed. A man was hanging from the rafters of the barn by his ankles as his face leered down at us. His attire was green material stretched tightly over his muscular body. His hair was also dark black and needed a good washing.

"And you have brought a friend! It is so nice that you are making friends!" The man said.

"Lee get down before you injure yourself or scare her away." Neji said.

The man, Lee dropped down with grace from the rafters and landed before me. He took my hand in his own and kneeled. "My apologies youthful flower, I am so sorry to frighten you."

Neji looked visibly frustrated. "Lee I brought her to help you milk cows. Stop holding her hand and put her to work." Neji glared at Lee and then left.

I looked down to see Lee still kneeling. "You don't have to worry. I was only scared that you would fall." I answered. "On me." I added after a moment of thought.

"I would never allow that to happen!" Lee said as he stood up valiantly. "Tell me your name youthful flower, so that I may address you while we labor together with the cows."

I sighed. "My name is Tenten." I said after a minute of silence.

"Tenten, what a heavenly name. Well Tenten, have you ever milked a cow before?" Lee asked.

"Yes I have." I said with a smile. "But it was a few years ago, could you give me a quick demonstration?"

I liked Lee instantly. He treated me with the utmost respect. He treated me as his equal. He didn't scoff when he saw my orphans tattoo or sigh when I dropped a bucket of milk.

"Yosh!" Lee said once we had finished for the day. The two of us were walking side-by-side along the path back to the maze entrance. "I will have to request that Neji have you work with me again! That was a youthful day of bonding."

I laughed for the first time in Konoha. "I would like that." I said while smiling. I had liked the work. Cows really are docile creatures that just want to be milked.

Lee waved goodbye and went to stand with the boys. They would be taking a different path to their dorm rooms.

Hinata came to stand next to me. "You l-look happy, Tenten." She said.

"I had a good day." I said. "How was yours?"

"Neji-Nii-san yelled at Kiba-kun for joking with Shino. Nii-san gets very angry with Kiba-kun." Hinata said.

"So you are related to Neji?" I asked.

"Yes, we are distant cousins." Hinata said. "Even though we're related Nii-san holds no love for me."

"I don't think it's your fault. He seems like an angry soul to me." I said.

**The Next Day**

I was sitting at the first meal tables with Kiba, Shino and Hinata.

"So Tenten, have you met the doctor yet?" Kiba asked.

"Doctor?" I asked.

"Doctor Kisame. He lives in the central building of Konoha. He holds conducts tests on particularly powerful chakra users. No one knows exactly what he is doing, except for Itachi Uchiha." Kiba said. "Itachi is his partner and the legal owner of Konoha."

"He was the one who exposed me as a chakra user." I said while remembering the frightening man. "It' because of him that I'm right here."

Kiba looked at me. "Then you must be very powerful, because all of us are here for other reasons. None of us have met Kisame or Itachi."

"Itachi's little brother is friends with Neji-Nii-san." Hinata said. "His name is Sasuke. He's here as a prisoner though, not as a lackey of Itachi like Nagato."

"The current patient of Kisame is Kin." Shino rasped.

Kiba pointed to Kin as she trailed lifelessly behind Nagato. The two were just leaving after their meal. They would wait at the mouth of the maze for the rest of the chakra users to show up.

"Kin didn't always look like that." Kiba whispered. "She used to be strong and free-willed."

I looked over at Hinata and her face had contorted into disgust as she looked at Nagato. "They're monsters."

"Hey guys, can I sit here?" A girl asked. I noticed her bright blue eyes that contrasted with her dark skin and hair.

Kiba instantly smiled. "Of course Maki! Sit down." He said.

The girl sat down shyly. Her blue eyes kept wandering over to me. "Who is your friend, Kiba-kun?" She asked.

I smiled at her. "Hello, my name is Tenten. I'm very new to Konoha." I held out my hand to her.

She shook it shyly. "My name is Maki. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Maki's ability has to do with cloth binding." Hinata said proudly. "She is very powerful. For she can strangle anyone using just their clothes."

"Tenten has the best aim ever!" Kiba said excitedly. "And she can move objects using just chakra!"

Maki smiled. "Well then, you must be pretty powerful."

After that I had another friend in Konoha.


	5. Chapter 5

Ethos Ob. I

A/N- Hello hello, it's been a while. I haven't been able to upload because I have been far too busy. I just run out of time, due to school and my search for a job. What can I say, I have to pay for college somehow. And in my defense, every good fan fiction writer takes a lot of time off.

* * *

Chapter 5. Life in Konoha.

Maki and I were fast friends. She was from the Midlands, near where I had my first memories in the orphanages. She looked very different from the other outcasts in Konoha.

Her hair was a light golden color and her eyes were a piercing blue. I was a little jealous of her good looks.

I could tell that Hinata was jealous of Maki too. Since it was also plainly obvious that Kiba had feelings for Maki. And I could tell that Hinata cared a lot for Kiba.

Love was not a luxury I had the ability to possess. A part of me envied their little love triangle, while another part of me knew that it would be far too dangerous for me to love another. Also my life spent alone would not easily allow anyone into my heart.

I wondered if I had loved Haku sometimes. But then I would shut those thoughts away and throw myself into whatever farm work Neji had assigned me. I could not afford to lament over the past.

The reason I had not met Maki sooner was because she toiled in the kitchen while the rest of us worked on the fields. Ever spare person was needed to work on the fields because winter was rapidly setting in.

I had been working in Konoha for about two weeks now. The orphans had stopped looking so intently at my tattoo, and were more inclined to actually interact with me. My friendships had grown much stronger as well. I actually rather liked having people I could trust.

One cool day we were all lined up at the beginning of the maze waiting for Nagato to lead us through to the farms. Kiba offered me a small smile as he and Shino stood apart from me and Hinata.

I had a strange feeling stirring within me. And I wanted to talk to Hinata to see if anything would happen to me. But we were never given the chance. Neji assigned jobs quickly, and we were all separated.

I was to help Lee with the cows once again. I had been given that job more than the other's on the farms because I could handle Lee's eccentric nature the best.

The green clad man smiled to see me. "Hello Tenten!" He greeted then he ordered me to milk the cows once again.

We both settled silently into the work. I would usually try to get him to speak, because he seemed to know a lot about the farm work. But a chakra-user I only knew slightly showed up with a message from the main house.

The chakra-user was a woman much older than me named Temari. She had golden hair that was tied up into four pigtails. She was tall and proud. I wondered instantly what her abilities could be.

She stayed to speak with Lee after the message had been delivered. She either didn't notice my presence, or simply didn't care. I felt like it was foolish on her part to speak like that with me there. For all she knew I may have been an informant of the doctor.

"What news is there, Lee?" She asked in her haughty voice.

Lee leaned back from the cow he was milking. He turned to look right at the woman. "There is much trouble brewing on the highlands." He said decidedly. "Last I heard the council down in Suna wished to send a search party up for the fanatical Tsunade."

Temari nodded gravely. "That would be quite an ordeal." She said. "I heard something like that from Kankurou. He also said that the council gets paid to stay out of the mountains though, is that true?"

"Sure is." Lee said. "Everything north from the hills of Fire belongs to the legal owner of Konoha, who is Itachi Uchiha."

"So will they be allowed to search for Tsunade?" Temari asked.

"I don't think so. The Uchiha likes to keep outsiders out of his territory. Don't get the wrong idea though, the leader of the Akatsuki and that blasted Orochimaru trust him more than anything. So this matter will probably go up to the courts. Which are controlled by Orochimaru, so the council may eventually come up to search for Tsunade." Lee said.

"Who is Tsunade?" I asked, causing both of them to look right at me. I had of course, heard Tsunade's name. But I had known very little about her. I was hoping one of them could tell me more.

They did not disappoint.

"Tsunade was a member of the old council. They were in control before the Great Disaster." Temari began. "She was rooted out of power by Orochimaru, and was slated for death. Somehow she managed to escape into the highlands. The Akatsuki has been looking for her since, but have slacked off in recent years. She has not down anything to threaten them, and they believe her dead."

Lee nodded. "Last I heard, she had died. But it's only a rumor."

Temari nodded and uncomfortable with the conversation, she left. Lee and I both watched her go. When she was far enough away Lee turned to look at me.

"You must not repeat the conversation you've just had with anyone." He said. "It was sedition to speak of such things."

"I know." I said. I would not dare speak of things like this to anyone. It would be foolish, for my death would happen as a result of the sedition.

**Later**

I sat with Kiba and Shino at lunch that day. They were both silent until we knew that we were out of the other chakra-user's hearing range. I spoke first.

"Do you know who Tsunade is?" I asked.

Kiba looked at me and laughed. "Of course! Everyone in Konoha knows who Tsunade is. All of us have parents that told us fables about her before we went to sleep at night."

"It's a highland legend." Shino said.

"Well I don't have parents to tell me bedtime stories, and I'm not from the highlands." I said. "I only know about her because I heard Lee and Temari talking about her."

Kiba took a bite from his sandwich and pondered over what he would say next. Once he swallowed he said, "Well, for starters, no one knows if she's alive or not. Older people who lived before the Great Disaster like my mom want Tsunade to be alive. Because supposedly the old council was a better form of government. Do I believe that, I don't know. I was not alive then." Kiba said.

"She's the last member of the old council to still live. Or she might be the last to die, no one knows." Shino said.

"So there is much controversy?" I asked.

Both boys nodded. I sighed. I had wanted definite answers. After Lee and Temari's talk I had thought about escape, maybe I could escape to the fanatical Tsunade, since she had seemed to be against the Akatsuki. But now that could not happen.

All of us looked up at Hinata as she sat by us. Kiba and I shared a look with each other when we noticed the evident fear in her eyes.

Kiba spoke to her first, "What is the matter Hinata?" He asked.

"I heard a rumor that Maki has been ordered to see the doctor." Hinata said.

All of us gasped. Pictures of the half-dead Kin always trailing after Nagato flew through my mind. Would the same thing happen to Maki?

I had not known the blonde girl long, but I already feared for her safety. What could this doctor want with Maki? Her abilities had not seemed all that powerful to me.

"Who told you?" I asked Hinata.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata answered.

"Why do you believe that guy?" Kiba asked. "He loves stirring trouble. I wouldn't believe a single thing he says."

**Later Same Day**

I stood in the crowd of Chakra-user's at the gate to the maze. We were waiting for Nagato to show up and lead us back to the dormitories. I was staring up at the sky wondering when the snow would show up.

I felt someone grab my arm and I turned expecting a threat.

It wasn't exactly a threat, it was Neji. His white eyes poured into my brown eyes. I marveled at his black hair blowing softly in the wind. I was jealous of his perfect hair; mine only hung down my back.

"Lee wanted me to remind you not to tell anyone what he spoke of." Neji said. "I can only wonder what your conversation consisted of, but you better heed his warning if he's brought me into the matter."

I nodded at him. "Tell him not to worry." I said.

Neji let go of my arm and stalked off. I watched him go and shivered in the wind. He made me uncomfortable.

**The Next Day**

I sat at my table for the first meal. Hinata sat next to me and we both watched as Kiba and Shino sat with us. Before I could speak with them about the fact that Maki had stumbled into our room the night before, two other boys sat with us.

I recognized one as the little brother of Itachi. Sasuke Uchiha had the same jet black hair and pale skin just like his elder brother. The other boy was very fat with swirls on his face. I recognized him as assistant in the kitchen.

Both Sasuke and the kitchen helper engaged Kiba and Shino in a very boring conversation about various farm techniques. Hinata and I simply shrugged and ate. We could speak later.

At lunch Kiba told us that Sasuke and the kitchen helper were good friends of Neji's and their sudden interest with us was not a good sign.

"I've been thinking seriously of escape." Kiba whispered to us.

"I have too." I admitted. "But every plan I think of won't work."

Hinata smiled a little. "Sometimes I dream of living somewhere safe, with all of you. I can't tell though, if it's me dreaming or an event that will soon come to be." She said.

Shino spoke. "Nothing would make me happier than to be elsewhere, but I'm afraid that I would be a hindrance to you."

"That's not true!" Hinata protested.

"You're much more insightful than us." I said. "You can use your bugs to help us in so many ways."

"Yeah." Kiba said. "You're more important to us than you think."

I smiled genuinely at them. These people were nicer than any one that I had met ever. Excluding Haku of course. His kindness must not be forgotten.

We all left to resume our tasks then. My thoughts returned to Maki.

**Flashback**

Late last night I was sleeping fitfully when I heard the door open. I sat up and turned to see who was there. To my astonishment, Maki stood in the doorway.

She looked entirely different. Her eyes, instead of being happy and wide, were drooping and had dark circles under them.

Maki looked like she had gone days without sleep. I stood and rushed to her side. She collapsed into me, and fell asleep instantly.

I somehow managed to lay her down on my sleeping mat. Her body was heavy due to the fact that she was unconscious. I rested my hand on her forehead and felt no fever. I was panicking, what had the doctor done to her?

Hinata woke up to the commotion. She was instantly by my side. "Maki!" She whispered in panic.

"Quiet! You'll wake the others!" I hissed. "We don't want anyone noticing she's here!

"They're bound to notice when they wake up!" Hinata whispered back, "She's not supposed to be in here!"

"We'll just go to sleep and pretend in the morning that we don't know what's going on." I said.

"I wonder what the doctor did to her…" Hinata muttered.

"I have no idea what could have caused this. I've never seen anything like this." But as I said that to Hinata I realized that I had indeed seen a condition similar to this. I'd have to ponder over it and scan my memories to remember what this could mean.

Hinata handed me a blanket. "Let's get to sleep now, we'll tell Kiba and Shino about this tomorrow. I'm sure they'll know something."

"You're right." I agreed and took the blanket.

But to our utter shock, Maki was gone in the morning. We had no idea where she went and the other girls in the room were wondering why I was sleeping on the floor. I had given my bed to Maki the night before, but now she was gone.

Hinata and I were able to fabricate some lie about how I slept walked out of my bed. Luckily we were believed.

**Present**

I looked up at the sky again. The clouds were dark, signaling rain. I was deep in one of the far away fields, and I was very alone.

Neji had ordered me to look for a runaway goat, and I was simply enjoying the solitude. I hardly ever got to be alone these days. The wind was chilly as it blew through my hair.

I went off to search for the missing goat.

**Later **

I was sitting in the dining hall eating the night meal with Hinata and Kiba. Shino was still on the farm; his help was needed in the drying sheds. We were being careful about our conversation topics, in case Sasuke or any of Neji's other friends showed up.

My eyes widened when Maki sat at the table with us. I quickly masked my expression when I saw everyone in the hall looking in our direction. I had to look normal, and not attract attention. But inside, my mind was swirling.

_ Why is Maki here? _

_ Where did she go last night?_

_ What did the doctor do to her?_

I asked myself as she began eating normally in front of us. Kiba, Hinata and I all shared a look. They must be thinking the same thing as me.

I would ask Maki later, because now there was too much attention focused on us.

However, my thoughts could not dwell on Maki's re-appearance. For a person walked into the room and my heart stopped when I saw his face.

It was Zabuza.

Our brown eyes met, and I was shocked by the bitterness in his gaze.

* * *

A/N- I am so sorry! I have not been devoting nearly enough time to this story. But I promise; that is going to change! Truth be told, my car is broken so I have no way to leave my house right now. So all I've been doing is writing. Lol.

Thanks for reading this, and leave me a review telling me what you think if you can. Have a great day!


	6. Chapter 6

Ethos 6.

Disclaimer- Naruto is not mine.

* * *

Chapter Six. The doctor.

I wanted to seek Zabuza out immediately after that. But I did not dare. Every time I thought of doing so, Neji's white eyes and his warnings would fill my mind. I did not want to link myself to him just yet.

I had something far more dangerous brewing for me.

Maki had been moved permanently to room with Hinata and me. And Maki was changing.

Her eyes were often distant, and she spoke in almost riddles whenever she was spoken to.

I had been assigned to work for Lee again with the cows. I figured I could find some things out about the doctor by asking him.

"Has Kin always been that way?" I asked after about an hour of silently milking the cows.

Lee leaned back from the cow he was milking. "Kin used to be a lovely lady. She was so strong." Lee muttered almost to himself.

"What caused her to change?" I asked.

Lee shook his head. "It's a sad fate."

"I heard that she has been visiting with the doctor, is that true?" I pressed him further.

Lee looked right at me. "She has. He made her that way. But we shouldn't be speaking of such things, let's get back to work and onto better topics."

I frowned. So my theory was correct. Whatever the doctor did to Kin, he plans to do the same to Maki. I had to tell Kiba and the others as quickly as possible.

**At Lunch**

I sat apart from the others with Kiba, Hinata, and Shino as usual. I was waiting until we were completely safe to talk before I told them what I had learned.

Finally the time arose.

"Lee said that whatever the doctor has been doing to Kin has caused her to become defective." I whispered.

"That's what I thought." Kiba said.

"I worry for Maki." I said.

"We all do." Shino said. "I'm having bugs follow her movements closely, and they say that she wanders in her free time. It is like something is drawing her mind out of her."

I shivered. How horrible, for a doctor to cause such a fate to his 'patients'.

"Quiet, the overseer approaches." Hinata whispered.

I didn't have to turn my head to know that Neji was approaching.

"He takes an interest in us." Shino whispered.

"Maybe in just one of us." Kiba said with a sly look at me.

I blushed at the implication. "Don't be dumb." I whispered.

"Tenten." Neji addressed me. "Come with me." He said.

I rose and left with him.

"Is it true that Maki has been moved to your room?" He asked.

I shivered again. How did he know about household affairs? He was a farm worker.

"It is true." I said.

"Did she sleep there last night?" Neji asked.

I frowned. "No. She wanders at night. And during the day." I said.

"What about the night before?"

"She did." I answered. "Why are you asking this? Maki works in the kitchen. She's not one of your farm workers."

"You have no right to ask me questions." Neji said starkly.

"Then what right do you have to ask me questions?" I asked.

"I have been here for years. You're only an orphan that's been here for a month. Learn your place and stop stirring trouble with Lee."

I saw red. How dare he insult my orphan status! He didn't know anything about me.

"At least I've seen Itachi Uchiha and lived to tell the tale." I answered darkly. I knew that barely anyone in Konoha had set eyes upon the elusive Uchiha.

Neji's white eyes glared at me. "Get back to work." He said.

I stood alone on the path that we had walked on. That had been such a strange encounter. But he had not harmed me, and he had not expressed hatred toward me. So I was probably safe.

**The Next Day**

I woke up the next morning quickly. Usually I would wake up slowly and try to spend as much time in my bed as possible, but today I dressed quickly and headed for the kitchen.

I sat alone at a table to eat my breakfast. There were only a handful of people in the mess hall. It was nice and quiet.

I stopped eating when I noticed a man approach me. He had very dark features, and he glared at me.

"Tenten." He said. "The doctor wishes to meet with you."

My heart sank. The doctor wanted to see me. Visions of the half-conscious Maki and Kin darted through my mind. What would happen to me there?

"Meet me in the kitchen after all the others have gone out to the farms." The man said. "I'll take you to the doctor then."

I did as I was told. I stood in the kitchens. Maki was absent, and I wondered where she was.

A fat man that I recognized from the other day addressed me. He had been one of Neji's friends that had spoken to Kiba.

"Hello Tenten." He said. "My name is Choji, what are you doing in the kitchen?"

"Waiting on summons to meet the doctor." I answered. "How did you know my name?"

Choji laughed. "The mark on your arm is widely spoken about within Konoha. You're the first legitimate orphan we've had here in years."

"That's strange. I would think that there would be more." I said thoughtfully. I found Choji very nice. It was wonderful to get my mind off of whatever waited for me in the doctor's chambers.

"Nah, with chakra-users it's usually our family that turn us in." Choji said.

Then the man with dark features arrived. "Come with me Tenten." He said.

"Good luck." Choji said as I walked away.

I nodded to him, but did not say more.

The dark man led me through a dark corridor that was lit by green candles. I had never been through this part of Konoha.

Finally he stopped in front of a door. "You are not to speak of what you see in this room." He said ominously.

I nodded silently. Then we both entered through the door.

It was a rather large room. A giant fireplace sat on one side with a great desk in front of it. Book shelves lined the walls, and papers were stacked everywhere. There was a strange symbol above the fireplace, it was red and white and I had never seen it before. Beside the strange symbol, there were clouds drawn upon most of the walls. I knew that they were the symbol of the Akatsuki.

I saw Itachi Uchiha leaning against the desk with his eyes closed. He wore the same kind of cloak that I had seen him wear in the orphanage.

Behind the desk sat the ugliest man that I had ever seen. His skin was blue, and it appeared that scales ran along the surface. He was shuffling through papers, but he looked up when he saw me.

"Aw, you must be Tenten." He said. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Itachi even turned and looked at me with his frightening eyes.

"Itachi, why exactly did you send for her to live here?" The doctor asked.

It was then that I noticed the dark featured man had disappeared. How strange, I hadn't heard the door open. Then I saw a black bird in the place where he had been standing. The man must have been some incarnation of the Uchiha standing before me.

"She is Chakra sensitive." Itachi said. "And is built for combat, look at her Kisame." Itachi said.

The doctor, whose name must be Kisame nodded as he looked at me. "I do see it." He said. "And her chakra is powerful; it's not like anything I've ever experienced though."

I was silent. I wondered when they would address me.

"Tenten how did your family die?" Itachi asked.

I looked right into his black eyes. "I don't know. I've been in orphanages all my life." I said.

Kisame smiled. "I remember that symbol on your arm. Too bad that they're all gone." He looked right at me. "Please sit down. Be comfortable. I only want to speak with you."

I did as he said and sat down before him.

"What I am doing is a very noble pursuit, Tenten." Kisame said. "I know some people regard me as a monster, but I promise that I am trying to do good things."

I nodded. "I believe you." I said. I only agreed to keep them from doing anything. I was trying to appear defective so they would not assume anything about my abilities.

"We are searching for someone with extraordinary abilities." Itachi said. "We were hoping that you could help us locate them."

"What kind of abilities?" I asked.

Kisame answered vaguely. "Just someone extraordinary. Can we count on you?"

I nodded. "Of course. I would love to be of assistance to you two."

Kisame nodded to me. "I would love to make you my patient, but I am far too busy with my other patients right now."

I held in my sigh of relief. They wouldn't operate on me. My heart sagged. I was saved.

"You are dismissed." Itachi said.

I nodded and left the room. I wandered through the halls. I finally collapsed against one and held my face. I had been so close to being just like Kin.

I spent the rest of the day working in the kitchen with Choji. He had been happy to see that I was still functioning after my visit.

**The Next Day**

I had told Kiba and the others about my visit to the doctor. They were just as relieved as me that I was alright. I told them that Itachi had enlisted my help in search for someone like me. Though I had no idea what they meant.

"You might be the only person other than Sasuke that has seen Itachi." Kiba said. "You're amazing."

I was about to respond when Zabuza passed by and went to eat his lunch in a barn. I followed him without a word to my other friends. I could explain later to them about Zabuza and I's connection.

Zabuza saw me sit next to him. He frowned. "What do you want?" He asked.

"Do you know me?" I asked.

"You're Tenten. And orphan just like me." Zabuza said.

I nodded. "Good, you're still mentally stable. Why are you here? As far as I know you don't possess any chakra abilities."

Zabuza said nothing.

"Did something happen with Haku?" I pressed. "Tell me!"

"Haku is dead." Zabuza said.

I reeled backwards. "Dead? But how could that happen! You tow were on your way to achieving normalcy!" My mind would not accept Haku's death. He had been the closest thing to family.

"Haku became deranged after you departed. He began using his abilities recklessly. He was found out and taken away by Akatsuki. I never saw him again."

"How did you get here? And not Haku?" I asked.

"I figured that Haku had been brought here against his will, just like you." Zabuza said. "So I spread a rumor that I was a chakra-user, in order for me to come here and be with you two. But Haku is not here, and you are."

"I don't understand the animosity towards me." I said.

"You're happy here. While Haku has suffered death somewhere else." Zabuza said. "He sacrificed everything to be with you, and you don't care."

I slapped him. "Don't you dare say that I enjoy myself more here than with you two." I said. "I would give anything to be away from here and with you two."

Zabuza stood. "I'm going to go." He said.

I was left alone. In more ways than one.

The most important person to me was dead.

I collapsed into the hay. Tears fell from my eyes. I wept for the first time in years.

I wept for whatever tortuous things had happened to Haku. He didn't deserve it. He didn't s=deserve anything that had happened to him. He had always been kind to me. Now his death had caused Zabuza's hatred of me. I wept for Zabuza's suffering too.

"What has happened?" Neji asked from the doorway of the barn.

I turned to see him looking right at me with concern. I knew then that I should make some excuse for my tears, but I couldn't bear to lie anymore.

"My dearest friend is dead." I said simply. As I said it, more tears fell from my eyes.

Next thing I knew Neji was kneeling next to me in the hay. "All your friends are alive, I would know otherwise." He said.

I laughed bitterly. He thought I meant someone on the farms. "No, this friend lived in Amegakure with me." I said. "But you probably would just hate him for the symbol he wore on his arm." I gestured to the orphan tattoo I wore.

"I know I have not been so kind, since the death of my father." Neji said. "I almost envy you for not having any relatives, so that you could never feel the pain I felt at losing him. But now you're hurt by the death of a friend."

"He was more than a friend." I said. I had no logical explanation for why Neji was being so nice to me. None of this made sense.

"I heard you went to see the doctor." Neji said. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I am only hurt by my loss." I said.

Something strange happened then. Neji wrapped his arms around me. I could feel his even breathing on the back of my neck.

"Come now, if you don't return to work more suspicions about you will rise." He said.

Then I let him help me up and I dried my tears. He sent me far away from the other chakra users, so that I might collect my emotions before the night meal.

I had no idea why he was being so kind.

* * *

A/N- Thank you for reading! I hope you have a wonderful day.


End file.
